Federal Judiciary Notes

Role of the Courts

  • The judiciary adjudicates disputes according to the law.

  • Courts interpret law, do NOT create or enforce law.

Court Fundamentals

  • Adjudication Functions:

    • Fact determination: Identifying facts relevant to a dispute.

    • Law application: Applying the relevant law to the established facts.

    • Law determination: Deciding what the law means.

  • Jurisdiction: Authority of a court to hear a case; varies by case type and jurisdiction.

Types of Laws

  • Criminal Law:

    • branch of law that defines crimes and punishments for criminal acts, and the prosecution is always the state

    • grand juries decide whether the prosecution has probable cause to bring criminal charges (indictments)

  • Civil Law:

    • Disputes between individuals (e.g., contracts, property disputes).

    • The plaintiff can be either an individual or the state; issues usually non-criminal.

Judiciary Act of 1789

  • Established the U.S. Federal Judicial Branch.

  • Created the Office of the Attorney General (Justice Department formed later in 1870).

  • Defined zones for Federal District Courts.

Article III - Structure and Powers

  • Section I: Judicial power resides in one Supreme Court and other courts as Congress may create.

  • Section II: Supreme Court Justices appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate, serving for life.

  • The jurisdiction covers all cases arising under the U.S. Constitution and laws.

Structure of Federal Courts

  • Court Levels:

    • 1 Supreme Court

    • 13 Circuit Courts of Appeals

    • 94 District Courts

  • Federal courts only hear cases authorized by the Constitution or federal law.

Jurisdiction Types

  • Original Jurisdiction: Where the case is first heard.

  • Appellate Jurisdiction: Reviews decisions from lower courts.

Texas Federal Courts

  • 4 Federal District Courts, appeals to the Fifth Circuit Court located in New Orleans.

Appellate Courts

  • Check if trial courts followed legal rules; do not hear witnesses or new evidence.

  • Process: Assesses law application from lower court outcomes, focusing primarily on the law.

Case Study: Salinas v. Texas

  • Fact Determination: Salinas questioned for murder without Miranda rights; he became silent when asked about bullet casings.

  • Law Application: Prosecutors used his silence against him, leading to conviction.

  • Law Determination: Supreme Court ruled silence can't be used as evidence unless invoked rightly under 5th Amendment.

Judicial Independence

  • Judiciary should be non-political and free from executive or legislative influences.

  • Justices are not elected and are appointed for life to maintain independence.

Judicial Review

  • Established by Marbury v. Madison (1803), allowing the Supreme Court to declare laws/actions as unconstitutional.

  • Determines if Congress or the President oversteps constitutional bounds.

Case Ascension to SCOTUS

  • Petitions for cases must meet criteria: significance assessed by the Supreme Court.

  • Rule of Four: Four justices must agree to hear a case.

The Solicitor General

  • plays an important role in influencing the court’s decision on which cases to hear

  • will general argue on behalf of the united states in the supreme court if the federal government is a party

Judicial Review Mechanisms

  • is fundamental to the U.S system of government, makes the judicial branch co-equal because the actions of the president and congress are subject to review and possible invalidation by the supreme court

  • allows supreme court to take an active role in ensuring that the other two branches are abiding by the constitution

Marbury v Madison (1803)

  • first time supreme court struck down a presidential action

  • president or congress could have refused to accept the decision

  • established that U.S supreme court has the power of judicial review

Case Briefs

  • Written documents structuring arguments for both sides in court; a necessary component of all court cases.

  • Amicus Curiae: Briefs from interested parties offering perspectives to the court, commonly seen in Supreme Court cases.

Conclusion

  • Understanding the functions, structure, and powers of the judiciary reveals its role as a cornerstone of American democracy, essential for maintaining checks and balances among branches of government.